When it comes to hope, the rich get richer: A daily diary study of fluctuations in state hope

ABSTRACT

The current study examined the association between dispositional and state hope in college students using a 2 -week diary. Specifically, we tested whether dispositional hope predicts lower levels of daily changes in state hope over a 2-week period as well as whether higher-than-normal levels of state hope would result in higher-than -normal levels on subsequent days. Data were collected from 101 students (Mage = 25.91) who were studying online due to COVID-19 restrictions. The sample was predominantly female (74 %) and Black (49 %) or His-panic/Latinx (25 %). The results indicated that individuals with higher levels of dispositional hope at the beginning of the study experienced lower levels of lability in state hope compared to their counterparts with lower levels of dispositional hope. Additionally, when individuals reported levels of state hope on a particular day that were higher than average for them, they experienced a boost in state hope the following day. These results highlight the self-perpetuating nature of hope, and suggest that some individuals are less susceptible to daily fluctuations in hope than others based on their disposition. Furthermore, the results emphasize that hope varies both between - and within - persons.